You’re strolling down a sidewalk, heading to your apartment after grabbing a pizza for dinner on a Tuesday. The sun is just right. The breeze is even better. The heavy flow of cars on this busy street calm for a few seconds as the evening rush hour dwindles. All the trees and flowers are in full bloom with the vibrant colors of their pedals bouncing around the pavement.

You notice this shot and think, I’d like to capture this for later. One shot – done. Then on your way to eat pizza on your couch.

Creativity is a spark but it often appears when we’re busy living our lives. We don’t notice our surroundings as often as we should due to our busy schedules and current life events.

Life is raw. Life is relentless. It will swallow you whole. We continue on through the landscape, time after time brushing ourselves off in preparation for another day. We have some of the worst days and some of the best days and we continue to wake up and try again. How amazing it is to get knocked down and scramble up back up to our feet with a face that hides the tyranny. There’s a dark and light cloud that surrounds the aspect of life.

It only takes three seconds to lighten your day – to notice the beauty in everyday life. It is all around us. It’s in the trees, the sun, the stars, and the sky. It’s especially there when we can’t manage to find any peace in the day.

Take a few seconds “for you”. Sit in stillness. Just breathe. Look out a window. Daydream. Do whatever it is you have to do to make your shoulders a little lighter.

“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.”

Living with a chronic illness like Hidradenitis Suppurativa alone can be bad for your mental health. You owe it to yourself to find a significant other who wants to be there for you through good times and bad.